Opinion: Daniel Levy has a dream opportunity to sign League One sensation Josh Maja

Dele Alli has taken the Premier League by storm since he arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, and the success he has enjoyed since signing should convince Daniel Levy to make a bid for Sunderland’s Josh Maja this month.

According to a recent report from the Sunderland Echo, Sunderland boss Jack Ross has confirmed that selling Maja in a deal which would see him immediately return to the club on loan is a potential option for the club.

“It’s a potential option, a potential solution if you like.”

Ross went on to add: “So it’s something, because of Josh’s age and how any purchasing could would view him, that it could be a potential option for us.

“But that isn’t anything that has been discussed more than as a potential scenario.”

While deals of this nature are not particularly common, the success which both MK Dons and Tottenham have enjoyed since a January deal was concluded in 2015 suggests a similar success story could be on the horizon for Levy.

Alli played a key role as the Dons clinched promotion to the Championship after he returned to the club on a short-term loan deal, and with the Black Cats hoping to achieve the same fate it’s easy to understand why Ross is open to the possibility of a similar deal.

Those who doubted Alli’s ability to make the transition from League One to the Premier League have been firmly silenced by his stunning return in the top-flight, and the signs are already there to suggest Maja could have a similar impact.

The 20-year-old has scored 14 times at the spearhead of Sunderland’s attack this season from just 23 appearances, and within the right environment he has the potential to blossom into a prolific goalscorer at the highest level.

Considering Maja’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2019 and Levy’s reputation as a tight-fisted negotiator, the coveted prodigy, who is a target for Tottenham (per Daily Express), should be available at an incredibly attractive price this month.

With Harry Kane sidelined until March, supporters would be wise to question the merits of a deal which saw Maja immediately return to the north east, but with no Premier League experience under his belt the weight of the expectation on his shoulders would be detrimental rather than progressive at this particular moment in his career.

Alli, of course, is an exceptional example of how a player can rise through the ranks to thrive near the summit of English football. His journey has been compelling and individual records have been shattered in the process, so to tip Maja to emulate that level of achievement after six months of major promise would be grossly unjust.

However, the modest price he will be available at suggests he’s worth a punt for Levy and Tottenham, and under Pochettino he couldn’t be better placed to build upon his prolific goal-scoring return.

Maja’s excellent form in League One this season and the fact he could join the club before temporarily returning to Sunderland hint that the next Alli-esque success story is staring Levy in the face, so Tottenham’s chairman must act upon the ideal scenario which has emerged at the Stadium of Light this month.